Come Into The Light
by headwonk
Summary: Constance Hardbroom's hidden past comes to light when Cackle's Academy gets two unwanted visitors requesting she aid them in a war. Follow Constance as she aids the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters in one of the Wizarding World's biggest wars yet.


It was another boring day of marking her first year's dreadful essays in her potions lab. Miss Cackle had kindly offered her a cup of tea around two hours ago, but Miss Hardbroom had gratefully declined. Miss Cackle had thus gone back to the staffroom to snack on a slice of cheesecake, listening to Miss Bat's terrible singing (if it could be called that).

A burning sensation on her left arm drew Miss Hardbroom from her mechanical marking and she winced, turning to look at the offending wrist. The pain persisted and a sudden realisation struck her. The blood rushed from her face and slowly, with shaking hands, Miss Hardbroom lifted the sleeve to reveal what looked like a tattoo of a snake and skull. It was more than that, though, and she knew it. The mark was burning which meant he was summoning her. But how did he even know she was alive, was the question bouncing around in Miss Hardbroom's mind. Her mark hadn't burned in at least a decade.

Knocking on the classroom door drew her attention and she quickly covered the mark with her sleeve before standing up and marching over to the door. She threw it open with all the force of someone who had been disrupted from their essay marking. And of course, on the other side of the door who should she find but Mildred Hubble. As much as Miss Hardbroom wanted to shout at the girl, telling her she wasn't to be disturbed when marking essays, she couldn't find the words when she saw Mildred's terrified face. It wasn't terrified in the way it was when Miss Hardbroom found her doing something she shouldn't be and gave her a stern talking to. No, this was different and it had Miss Hardbroom closing her mouth for a moment before finding some other snappy remark.

"What is it, Mildred?" Miss Hardbroom finally demanded of her second year student.

"There's people here, Miss Hardbroom!" The girl cried in horror, pointing behind her as if that would explain anything.

"Who's here?"

"I-I don't know! They're horrible, Miss, and they're looking for you! They have magic and the woman hurt Ethel!" Mildred sobbed, throwing herself at Miss Hardbroom. The latter couldn't find it in her to push her away, so she stood there and allowed the contact for the moment. "She was just trying to protect you, Miss Hardbroom, like we all were!"

"What do they look like, Mildred?" Miss Hardbroom muttered, staring unseeingly down the corridor.

"T-the man is wearing black robes and has a wand. He's bald and has no nose. He's like a snake, Miss! And the woman... she's terrifying. I've never seen a witch like her. Her hair is crazy just like her," Mildred explained before choking on a sob. "I managed to slip away to find you. You have to get out of here, Miss Hardbroom, they're looking for you."

"Let go of me, Mildred," Miss Hardbroom ordered to which the girl hastily complied, drying her eyes on her sleeve. Miss Hardbroom had never seen her so upset.

"Miss you're not thinking about going out there are you?" Mildred questioned, seeing the look in Miss Hardbroom's eyes.

Miss Hardbroom didn't reply, merely looking at the wrist which held the worst reminder of her past.

"You can't, Miss Hardbroom! Who knows what they want with you?! They-"

"Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, Mildred Hubble," Miss Hardbroom snapped, eyes flicking up to glare at the girl. "Now, step out of my way."

Hesitantly, Mildred stepped aside, knowing she couldn't convince her teacher. She would just transport herself anyway if Mildred didn't move.

"Go and find your friends. Find somewhere to hide for now. Everything will be all right soon," Constance quietly told Mildred, not turning to look at her as she passed the girl. Mildred nodded her head, watching Constance with wide, worried eyes.

"Do you know them, Miss?" Mildred found the nerve to ask just as Constance was about to transport. A sigh escaped her teacher and she looked down to the floor.

"Unfortunately, yes," Constance answered the disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Mildred stood in the doorway to the potions lab with her mouth hung open. She'd never seen her teacher transport quite like that. Shaking her head, Mildred ran off down the corridor, following Miss Hardbroom's instructions to find her friends.

* * *

Lord Voldemort paced the courtyard with a grin on his pale face, eyeing all of the witches gathered before him. They were all terrified and cowering in fear after the spectacle with the young girl Bellatrix had used the cruciatus curse on. Two older witches and a woman with short blonde hair were clearly trying their hardest to hide the witch he was after away, but they wouldn't be able to for long. Sooner or later Constance Hardbroom would come to him. He was sure of it.

In the background, Voldemort could hear Bellatrix hissing at the younger children who'd previously come running out of some classroom or another upon their arrival and he forced himself not to roll his eyes at Bella's childish antics. If it kept them all under wraps, then so be it.

As Voldemort was pivoting on the spot to continue his pacing of the courtyard, a whoosh of air caught his ear and he froze. Bellatrix chuckled in delight and stopped hissing at the young witches. Voldemort's grin vanished and he turned around to face the direction he'd heard the distinct sound of apparition and there, stood in front of the foolish witches who'd thought they could stop him, stood the one witch he'd sought out. Constance Hardbroom. She looked the same as the day she'd disappeared without a trace just before Voldemort's unfortunate downfall at the hand of an infant.

"Ah, Constance Hardbroom," Voldemort greeted, slowly approaching the woman, "how lovely to see you again."

"And you, my lord," Constance muttered as she bowed in respect (or fear). It was all the same to him, as long as he got the respect he deserved.

Bellatrix passed him by and sidled up to Constance who remained impassive at his most loyal's attempts to unnerve her. Some things never change. "Long time no see, dearie," Bellatrix whispered to Constance, some of her dark, curly hair covering her left eye. "This where you been hidin', then?" Bellatrix demanded, suddenly stepping away from Constance with a furious look in her eye. "You traitor!"

Most of the students in the courtyard flinched at Bellatrix's anger and Voldemort was forced to intervene lest things get out of hand.

"Now, now, Bella, we mustn't be rash. I'm sure Constance did what she thought was best at the time," Voldemort reasoned, casting a look in Constance's direction.

"My Lord?" Bellatrix inquired, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Ignoring her, it was Voldemort's time to circle Constance like predator and prey. Bellatrix backed up to allow him room to walk.

"I'm sure you are aware of why we've come here, Constance?" Voldemort said, phrasing it as a question.

"Yes, my lord," Constance replied, bowing her head.

"Good," the Dark Lord said, "good. Then we have no need to go over the pleasantries."

Voldemort strode up to Constance and took her left arm in his hand, his long fingernails digging into her flesh. With his other hand, he pulled up her black sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark, stood out against her pale skin for all the world to see. He felt Constance tense in his grip at the sight of the mark.

"Constance? What is that?" The grey haired, kindly looking witch asked, eyes trained on Constance's wrist.

Voldemort watched Constance carefully, waiting for her to answer the older woman, but his Death Eater merely remained quiet, burning a hole in the ground with her eyes. A smile twitched at the corner of his lips.

"Where is your wand, Constance?" Voldemort questioned, dropping her wrist and stepping away.

Constance looked up at him, finally, and made a show of summoning her wand which she held in the palm of both her hands, presenting it to Voldemort. The latter took the wand in his own hand, turning it over and examining it. It seemed rosewood, around ten inches, straight with a intricate design at the handle.

"Rosewood," he stated, to which Constance nodded her head.

"Its core?"

"Unicorn hair, my lord," Constance informed him.

"Unicorn hair," Voldemort murmured, examining the wand and the design at the handle. It looked like vines, climbing just a couple inches up the wand before stopping. Taking the wand at both ends, Voldemort put in considerable force before snapping it clean in half. Sparks flew from the break in the middle. He tossed it at Constance's feet, prompting a laugh from Bellatrix. He gauged the reaction of Constance, taking pleasure when he noticed tears spring to her eyes just before she blinked them away.

"We require you back at Malfoy Manor," Voldemort stated, beginning his mindless pacing once more.

"My Lord?" Constance started.

"I'm sure you've heard of the fast approaching war," Voldemort continued by ways of answering. "There is a prophecy at the Ministry of Magic. My prophecy. To win the war, I need that prophecy."

"I'm not sure where I come into this," Constance admitted.

Bellatrix scoffed behind him and Voldemort found he couldn't help but agree with her.

"I want you to assist in retrieving that prophecy," Voldemort stated bluntly.

For a moment Constance looked shocked. Shocked, perhaps, that even after her traitorous disappearance, he would want her to re-join the Death Eaters and help him win the war. She immediately schooled her expression, however, and straightened up.

"I apologise, My Lord, but I do not wish to be involved in the war," Constance told him levelly, making Voldemort pause in his pacing.

"You traitor," Bella growled, stalking toward Constance with that murderous look in her eye that even Voldemort had been surprised once or twice upon seeing it.

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort hissed nonetheless. Bellatrix shrunk under his gaze and retreated to stand behind him once more.

"My apologies, Constance," Voldemort started, returning his attention to Constance, "but maybe you misunderstood me. There is no option. You will come back to Malfoy Manor and aid Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy in retrieving my prophecy."

Constance looked towards the ground, some kind of internal conflict waging on behind her eyes. Voldemort found himself pacing once more as he waited, his patience wearing thinner as each second passed by. Surprisingly, Bellatrix managed to stay quiet through it all rather than shouting insults at Constance.

Finally, after what felt like an age to Voldemort, Constance heaved a deep breath and raised her eyes to his own.

"I will help you in the war," she decided, causing an uproar with the two witches behind her. Voldemort couldn't help an almost smug grin forming on his face. "However, I will not join you unless you promise that Cackle's Academy and the witches inside will not come to any harm during the war."

"You dare to bargain with the Dark Lord, you filthy-" Bellatrix started.

"Bellatrix! How many times do I have to tell you?" Voldemort roared, rounding on Bellatrix. The woman shrunk under his gaze and backed away. Calming himself and decidedly ignoring the sniffling and whimperig of the young witches in the courtyard, Voldemort turned back to Constance who hadn't moved her eyes from him.

"I cannot make any promises, Constance," Voldemort admitted, "but, I will try my best to keep this... school and its occupants out of the firing line."

Constance nodded, apparently realising it was the best she was going to get.

"Then I shall aid you in the next wizarding war, my Lord," Constance agreed, bowing her head with her hands clasoed in front of her. A low chuckle came from Bellatrix and Voldemort allowed himself a smirk.

"Constance!" Cried the plump, grey haired witch. "What are you doing? What's going on?"

Voldemort gestured to the woman with his eyes giving Constance permission to go and speak to the woman. It didn't take much convincing as Constance quickly turned around and hurried over to the woman, taking her hands in her own and whispering apologies and whatnot.

In the meantime while Constance was inevetibly saying her goodbyes, Voldemort found himself eyeing the younger witches and enjoying himself when they tried to hide behind each other. Bellatrix flashed him a manic grin and he returned it with a slight lift of his lips.

A sob caught his attention and he looked away from Bellatrix towards where Constance was stepping away from the grey haired witch. Constance turned away from the woman and gave him a short nod, an indication she was ready to leave for Malfoy Manor.

Voldemort waved a hand in Bellatrix's direction and his most loyal grinned a toothy grin, shooting off and away from the castle in a blurr of black smoke. Constance looked towards the older woman once more before following after Bella in her own blurr of black smoke. Voldemort followed them a second later.


End file.
